A cleaning apparatus is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning unit including a power consumption unit and a stick unit with which the cleaning unit is coupled and which allows the cleaning unit to move in a state of being gripped by a user. The cleaning unit includes a first coupling portion, and the stick unit includes a second coupling portion separably coupled with the first coupling portion, an operation portion operable to separate the second coupling portion from the first coupling portion, and a power transfer portion for transferring an operation force of the operation portion to the second coupling portion.

Disclosed is a robot cleaner. The A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner main body defining an external appearance of the robot cleaner, a suction unit provided in the cleaner main body for suctioning air containing dust, a dust separation unit for separating the dust from the air suctioned through the suction unit, a fan unit connected to the dust separation unit for providing suction force to the suction unit, and a housing having an air flow path for guiding the air discharged from the fan unit, wherein the housing accommodates a battery for supplying electricity to the fan unit, and wherein the air passing through the air flow path exchanges heat with the battery.

A work system comprising a first autonomous work machine and a second autonomous work machine, wherein the first autonomous work machine includes: a detection unit configured to detect dirt on the second autonomous work machine; and a notification unit configured to, if the detection unit detects dirt, notify the second autonomous work machine of dirt information indicating the detection of the dirt, and the second autonomous work machine removes the dirt or waits in a predetermined position in response to the notification of the dirt information by the notification unit.

Provided is a method for operating a robot, including capturing images of a workspace, comparing at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary, identifying a class to which the at least one object belongs using an object classification unit, instructing the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified, capturing movement data of the robot, and generating a planar representation of the workspace based on the captured images and the movement data, wherein the captured images indicate a position of the robot relative to objects within the workspace and the movement data indicates movement of the robot.

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

The present disclosure relates to a docking apparatus for a mobile robot including a sterilization unit, which emits germicidal light to a floor cloth to sterilize the floor cloth, and which includes: a germicidal lamp which vertically overlaps with the floor cloth of the mobile robot, and emits the germicidal light to a front end thereof; a diffusing part for diffusing the germicidal light to a rear end of the germicidal lamp; and a converging part for converging the germicidal light to a rear end of the diffusing part.

A mobile robot and a controlling method thereof of the present disclosure includes: a main body which travels in an area; a tool mounted at the main body to assist n cleaning; a holder onto which the tool is held; and a charging stand which supplies operating power to move the main body, wherein when the tool becomes separated from the holder, upon receiving a tool separation signal from the charging stand, the main body moves to a position of the tool so that the tool may be mounted at the main body. Accordingly, when the tool becomes separated, the mobile robot may detect a position of a user based on a map, and may move upon recognizing a user having the tool, without requiring the user to move, thereby enabling the user to mount the tool and designate an operation in a convenient manner.

A mower executes a mowing work while traveling autonomously. Furthermore, the mower includes a mower main body and a first controller that controls an operation of the mower main body so that the mower main body is washed with tap water that is supplied from a washing station. The mower includes, for example, a work unit that executes the mowing work, and the first controller operates the work unit so that the mower main body is washed.

A mobile robot of the present disclosure includes: a traveling unit configured to move a main body; a cleaning unit configured to perform a cleaning function; a sensing unit configured to sense a surrounding environment; an image acquiring unit configured to acquire an image outside the main body; and a controller configured to generate a distance map indicating distance information from an obstacle for a cleaning area based on information detected and the image through the sensing unit and the image acquiring unit, divide the cleaning area into a plurality of detailed areas according to the distance information of the distance map and control to perform cleaning independently for each of the detailed areas. Therefore, the area division is optimized for the mobile robot traveling in a straight line by dividing the area in a map showing a cleaning area.

An intelligent, autonomous interior cleaning robot capable of autonomously mapping and cleaning multiple rooms in a house in an intelligent manner is described. Various combinations of passive and active sensors may be used to perform mapping, localization, and obstacle avoidance. In particular, the robot uses stereo cameras with a static projected light pattern to generate 3D data. In addition, the robot may use optical sensors in various locations, laser ToF sensors, inertial measurement units and visual odometry to enhance the localization and mapping capabilities.